Because of the complexity of the new customizable town management skill, there were unfortunately some critical issues left in RC4a. Therefore a fast new release was required. If you are into this mod, RC5 is a MUST HAVE as it runs much more bugfree than any previous releases. If any LAN desync issues were caused by issues with lua tables in RAM, then those should be fixed in this release as well, but only time will tell as I have no way to verify it without the source code.

-AI players and battle sites are better adjusted to gameplay after month 8.
-Improved shatter skills, mastery levels are lowered according following pattern: 11110 - 22211 - 22222 (this actually brings them back to TOE strength since most high level spells in the game were buffed so that basic level is similar to what advanced level used to be)
-Armageddon loses much more damage if not cast on expert level (makes shatter destructive effective counter vs armageddon-kamikaze tactics)
-Pariah no longer has extra requirements, so now unusual occultism+summoning+dark build is more flexible.
-Vampirism Spell increase by 1% instead of 2% per SP (benefits magic heroes as 100% life drain was too easy to get)
-Regeneration Spell increase by 10% per SP instead of 5% (at expert level)
-Seraphs: +2 Defense, exchange righteous might for regeneration spell (Needed a boost, after Vengeance was nerfed, Zealots already had righteous might, now they can do a little bit of healing)
-Fortress T2 Dwelling Upg costs 10 wood instead of 10 Ore (fixes excessive ore requirement for Fortress)
-Corrected large amount of minor irregularities between creature power ratings and costs (too much to list)

NECROPOLIS

Necropolis was still too much overpowered to allow for competitive multiplayer, but there were also some things that needed to be boosted.

-Improved lord of undead: replace effect - the hero earns 0.5 gold for every skeleton in his army (you can always use the extra money for extra meat for the undead transformer)
-Improved amulet of necromancy: 20% cost discount instead of 10%
-Improved orson zombie specialty, it also gives a few zombies every week.

-Necromancy raise percentages: 10/15/20 (this is more of a correction than a nerf, it has almost no impact on balance)
-Base Dark Energy 150 instead of 200
-Amplifier +5% and +100 DE instead of +150 DE
-Grail Building 10% and +250 DE instead of +150 DE

If you want to discuss this you will first have to explain what about my previous explanation wasn't clear enough. Otherwise i don't know how to help you.

Quote:Because artificer is a stronger than regular skill that is only justified to have if the class has a higher knowledge gain than is otherwise good for him.

Secondly the old ultimate matters very little, you must already have dark+sum to get it and you can only cast a limited amount of spells per combat.

Also people really need to get over the idea that summoning is weaker than other schools because really it isn't. It is just harder to master.
Obstacle placements are among the best possible life savers.
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magnomagus said:Also people really need to get over the idea that summoning is weaker than other schools because really it isn't. It is just harder to master.
Obstacle placements are among the best possible life savers.

+1.

I had similar conversation on Facebook. This is one of the most versatile schools actually. It you have all summoning magics you can make wonders as magics stack with each other over time in the battle.
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Never said that it was weaker (good Utility, Phantom Army, Wasp Swarm, Hive - still, in the lategame, it falls short to the other schools), still, Destro does more in the beginning.

Mini Artifacts are very essential for Academy. They can be good even if you don't have as much Knowlegde. Additionally does Artificer hav some perks, which can be powerful (March of Golems and Magic Mirror for instances).

I agree that Artificer is a skill to balance the high Knowlegde gain, but with the latest changes (artifacts becoming far more knowlegde dependant), I don't think that Knowlegde is as subpar as it used to be in comparison.
Infact, I sometimes equip Knowlegde artifacts instead of A/D/S, something I never did before

Mind that Artificer unfolds its full might only with high Knowlegde, making it still weaker for an Elementalist, due to them gaining less Knowlegde.

With the introduction of the Governor, it somewhat lessened the Problem (as long as the Governor wasn't an Elementalist, anyway), yet, if you disable it, the Elementalist has an disadvantage.
The Ulti isn't weak, IMO. Gaining both Light (Vengeance, Resurrection, ...) and Dark (Puppetmaster, Vampirism, Frenzy, ...) while still retaining utility spells like Phantom Army, Bladebarrier - it does give a great toolbox.
Just my thoughts on it

Artificer is a little overpowered as it can boost the stats of creatures a little better than attack/defense secondary skills.

This is allowed by having a unfeasible high knowledge gain. However I do agree with you that since I have increased the effectiveness of knowledge this argument is less valid.

Now the power of the mastery levels should be justified mainly by the fact that the perks of artificer are mediocre. They are fine but nothing especially powerful.

But there was also another important reason why elementalists don't have artificer: they are supposed to play very differently with occultism and necromancy instead, otherwise they would just be wizards with a little more spell power and a little less knowledge, not worthy of another class.

In general: not having access to a skill means nothing balance wise, because any class can fill the void with another skill that is also very useful.

On a side note:
Arcane omniscience requires you to take 3 weak perks: elemental balance, scholar and suffering strike (which is almost completely useless for a wizard), so it actually costs 4 slots.
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TBH, I never understood the reason to choose Necromancy as Academy/Dungeon.

While you can revive some troops as meatshields, they do lower your moral. Additionally they won't matter past a specific point (Around Month ~2?).
Especially after the last adjustment regarding Dark Energy, the amount of revived creatures will become even less (not to mention the missing Amplifier).
Is there anyone who ever picked Necromancy as a non-Necro? And if yes, what are the reasons? I am rather curious regarding that.

While I do agree that giving all classes Artificer is making them rather similar, all other faction have access to their racial and still retain different playstyles. (Or am I missing some faction besides Sylvan [which is bugged to only work in primary to begin with, unlike Artificer]?)

Rather, wouldn't these specification do:
- Seer becomes the 'Might' Hero, with focus on Might related Skills and Primaries. It pretty much is it already, but maybe shifting the primary to 35% 20% 10% 35%.
Increase the chance to get Leadership and Warmachine. Maybe even changing their starting skill to something else? Rather then luck, either Leadership, Warmachine or Attack? Or would it make it too 'similar' to other faction's Might classes?
I somehow think that Luck has no special advantage, due to the lack of really powerful perks. Also, it is a rather neutral skill that can be used by both Magic and Might Heroes.

- Wizard remains Knowlegde centered. Knowlegde and Defense, rather then Knowlegde and Spellpower as it is. The main choice if you want to play on large maps, due to Artificer.
High chance to get Defense, Summoning and light Magic, Destro should be either reduced or go completely (due to the new lack of SP).
Summoning has many skills which do not focus on SP. Due to the large Manapool, it is possible to use a lot of spells.

- Elementalist becomes the Magic-centered class. Primary Skills as it is. Giving access to artificer (even with a 8% chance, so you have the possibility to get it on the lategame).

Currently, it is rather hard to make use of Warmachines in Academy, IMO. The only class which starts with a skill which could be useful, would be Wizard (Artificial Glory), but the chances to get the skills, and the primary skills are not in favor to it.
Seer has a better distribution, but with Luck it takes longer to get the necessary skills (Attack, Warmachine and Artificer), to use the unique perk of having Warmachine benefitting from moral.

On a sidenote: I noticed that a lot of Heroes with Combat do start with Retaliation Strike. Why is that?
Why not letting some of them having a perk in their secondary skill, or, rasing the Combat to advanced instead?

Quote:Is there anyone who ever picked Necromancy as a non-Necro? And if yes, what are the reasons? I am rather curious regarding that.

I did, but i had amulet of necromancy to seal the deal, and i admit i wouldn't take it in competitive multiplayer, although banshee howl is very useful. In any case the 4% skills are mainly about allowing some unusual builds for every class, to do some fun experiments that could work on some maps.

Quote:Seer has a better distribution, but with Luck it takes longer to get the necessary skills (Attack, Warmachine and Artificer), to use the unique perk of having Warmachine benefitting from moral.

This doesn't make sense, none of these skills are 'necessary', the engineer class doesn't even have access to artificial glory and luck boosts the ballista just as much as attack.

Quote:On a sidenote: I noticed that a lot of Heroes with Combat do start with Retaliation Strike. Why is that?
Why not letting some of them having a perk in their secondary skill, or, rasing the Combat to advanced instead?

Quote:TBH, I never understood the reason to choose Necromancy as Academy/Dungeon.

While you can revive some troops as meatshields, they do lower your moral. Additionally they won't matter past a specific point (Around Month ~2?).
Especially after the last adjustment regarding Dark Energy, the amount of revived creatures will become even less (not to mention the missing Amplifier).
Is there anyone who ever picked Necromancy as a non-Necro? And if yes, what are the reasons? I am rather curious regarding that.

I did pick Necromancy with warlock on a big map that has Necromancer towns. It proved useful. Reviving troops as meatshields, was benefiting my hero, cause relying on spells. Moral with mixed troops = same thing. So that is the early game logic behind this skill choice. Afterwards with captured at least one necromancer town, there is the option of using only one type of army. Necro or Dungeon, with the full benefit of necromancy for first type. Have in mind that as skill necromancy is now more "universal", so it was benefiting even only-Dungeon army. Banshee howl is strong in late game too.
With Town Conversion as option there are interesting strategy choices. Pro and contra usage of necromancy as warlock skill. There is also the option of unlearnig the skill.
Summary: On a map that has Necromancer town/s I think it is a very good option to take Necromancy for a warlock.
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magnomagus said:Artificer is a little overpowered as it can boost the stats of creatures a little better than attack/defense secondary skills.

I don't think it's overpowered as to make really good Artificer Items you need at least a level 20 hero with Expert Artificer and lots of spare resources of all kinds. And what you get from that isn't any better than you'd get from having Expert in most other skills
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What i would like to see in future if i can make wish is that more diversity in monsters , that means more dweling witch dont belong to the faction you play in yours starting territory. That cloud be neutrals (best new types) but even other factions. Also i would like to have possiblity to make some creatures to be upgraded for very much resources to lvl3 or lvl 4 even and maybe some leave at lvl1 allredy upgraded. So the player can have more tactical choise this is wish from me to christmas think about it - mighty mage the creator of h5.5

Quote:Seer has a better distribution, but with Luck it takes longer to get the necessary skills (Attack, Warmachine and Artificer), to use the unique perk of having Warmachine benefitting from moral.

This doesn't make sense, none of these skills are 'necessary', the engineer class doesn't even have access to artificial glory and luck boosts the ballista just as much as attack.

Well, all of these skills aren't 'necessary', but have perks that are more useful for Ballista than the other skills (Artificial Glory can be discussed, but since it offers a unique and very interesting skill for WM, I included it).
I have to admit that I haven't played Dwarfes yet, so I can't compare it to their Ballista Hero - I did play with Deleb, though.

Deleb starts with Attack as primary, and Warmachine as secondary skill.
So, what are the perks you really want to pick as a Ballista Hero? For once Triple Ballista - and Flame Arrow. Given, that Archery also boosts the Ballista, Offense simply gives a lot more power compared to luck.

Also, having these skills at the start helps a lot in getting them. Even if you would only need 3+3 + 2+2 = 10 Skills to max it out, if you don't get the skills and perks you want, it can easily take you 20 levels.

magnomagus said:

Quote:On a sidenote: I noticed that a lot of Heroes with Combat do start with Retaliation Strike. Why is that?
Why not letting some of them having a perk in their secondary skill, or, rasing the Combat to advanced instead?

Well, yes I can understand it somewhat that it has to be the middle perk - but why does it need to be a perk?
I personally don't really play with Ret Strike. Often enough I ignore it completely and if I don't start with it, I mostly pick Chain Attack + Stunning Blow + Mark of the Damned. (Though I really am only looking for Stunning Blow and often don't skill the third perk).

Just as an example If the Hero would start with Advanced Combat instead of Basic + Ret Strike, I would be able to gain access to Chain Strike [Stunning Blow] far faster...

One thing that will make the Necromancy feel more practical on other than Necropolis heroes is giving it maybe 1 or 2 morale to compensate for the penalty, because with the raising reduction it would be worthless to have -2 morale on your entire army for just a few Necropolis creatures that are not going to be a major factor after few weeks, while the Morale reduction will.

This add-on will not make Necropolis different in any way, just the creatures that are teamed up with it, while leaving the penalty unchanged for any other race that decide to take Necropolis creatures without raising them themselfs.

One more thing is to spread the Dark points on other more usual perks, that way when the non Necropolis heroes take Necromancy they won`t really feel that much weaker without Necropolis towns, while it will make little difference for Necropolis because they are going to take those perks when they get more levels, so the snowball effect would be almost the same in the begining and maybe little stronger in late game.

Actually when I think about it, it can apply to other special skills too. For example giving Dark Magic some increase in Dark Points make sense lorewise, as well as gameplay wise and will diffentiate for example Warlocks with and without Necromancy, because those that got it will be more evil, they will focus on Dark Magic to make a full use of their Necromancy. It will make absolutely no difference on any other than the Necromancy wielders

This can apply to Gating as well, for example swap Destructive with Summoning and give it a few percentage of gating and he will act more like a summoner, a real gatemaster.

Master of Conjuration -> Pyromancy -> Swarming Gate

This way he will really get a flavour of a Gatemaster, because he will be able to gate more troops, summon AND raise, while leaving the Destructive magic to the Sorcerer. The mages will still retain the ability to gate more than the Demon Lords if they wish, while having a lot weaker troops than the other 2 Inferno classes.

Or you can swap Summoning with Shatter summoning on Sorcerers and let the Gatekeepers to be the only class that have it. That way you can have either mighty army with Demon Lords, heavy magic with Sorcerers or a lot of mediocre army and mediocre casting with Gatekeepers.